Break out the oils and pastels, the pencils and the clay
—the Creative Arts Studio is ready when you are

Located in the Ascot clubhouse, Fox Run’s Creative Arts Studio is constantly bustling with activity. From ‘stay in shape’ action like Jazzercise, Stretch and Tone, Tai Chi, and Line Dancing to group meetings of the Investment Club, Travel Committee, Entertainment Committee, Quilting Group—the room is in constant demand.

On Saturday’s the place earns its name as people drop by to enjoy the Drop-In and Draw Class.

“We just decided among ourselves that on Saturdays, from 1-4, we would gather without an instructor and everyone would do whatever they wanted to do,” says Eileen Zolad, who lives on campus.  “Some people are doing oils, some are doing pastels or watercolors, and some are doing colored pencils. One woman is working on a small and very pretty sculpture.”

Neighbor Phyllis Praski adds, “Anybody can come in, bring their own supplies, and draw, or paint, or whatever. They can do it on their own or interact with other artists who come in.”

Rather than a formal class, Drop-In and Draw is simply a group of people who enjoy expressing themselves and getting together to learn from each other.  

“We hope to get enough people to attend so if you’re stuck on a painting and don’t know where to go next, you can set it up in front of the group and have a gentle, friendly critique of it,” Phyllis points out. “Like ‘blue would be a better color in this corner, or you should enlarge the figure in the middle,’ things like that.”

Pencil that in

Right now, some of the women are interested in using colored pencils. Once they get started, they may eventually go to art classes and get more experience behind them.

Phyllis herself is “a wannabe artist! I took some art in college,” she says, “but never went into fine arts until about three years ago when I was introduced to working with colored pencils. Now, I want to continue to learn and grow.”